Islander Darcy Jones takes a fresh look at Palm Beach style

Sunday

Blogger Darcy Jones of Palm Beach combines a model’s sense of style, a fashion editor’s eye and a love of the island that dates to the time she spent here during her childhood.

And she is keenly aware of how the world lately has turned its attention to Palm Beach, the people who live here and their fashion sense, thanks to the presidential election of Donald Trump and the transition of his Mar-a-Lago Club into a winter White House.

Palm Beacher Darcy Jones walks her two Corgis on the cover of the latest issue of Palm Beach Life, photographed by Chelsae Anne.

Palm Beach Life Editor

"Everyone is just so interested in Palm Beach right now," says Jones, who two years ago relocated from New York City to the island with her husband of seven years, businessman Nathaniel Fogg.

> PHOTOS: A fresh look at Palm Beach style

Jones has celebrated her take on Palm Beach style in a fashion-beauty-and-lifestyle blog she started a couple of years ago. Originally called TheSupperModel.com, she recently repositioned it as FoggOfFashion.com, a nod at her married name. The blog is filled with photos of her wearing Palm Beach fashions along with her articles touting a look she has dubbed "effortless elegance."

"That’s really what I think Palm Beach is all about" says Jones, who just turned 30 and who studied journalism and art history at Columbia University. She also is a graduate of the cuisine and pastry programs at Le Cordon Bleu in London.

Her style, she says, is about taking classic pieces and freshening them with something unexpected – a vintage necklace paired with a just-off-the-runway dress, say, or a spangled blouse beneath a Chanel jacket. It’s a modern take on Old School that’s become a favorite with her followers on Instagram (@foggoffashion) and Pinterest.

"There is a Palm Beach style – a certain approach to life, to beauty and to dressing. It’s what I would call a polished, casual chic," she adds. "A woman might throw on a white caftan she found in Morocco or Oia and head out into the morning with her wet hair slicked back in a low bun because she’s just come from the beach. But she’s wearing the perfect orange-red lipstick, a burst of color that’s a match to her bag. Then, for evening, she adds vintage statement earrings and an Edie Parker clutch, belts her dress and finishes the look with a long blazer and, maybe, a statement sandal."

Raised in Greenwich, Conn., Jones vacationed as a child and teenager with her family in Palm Beach, first in their North End house and, later, in a condominium facing Midtown Beach.

Why she loves this look: "This coat spans every generation. It’s a knockout statement and a forever piece. I love the fact that it can be worn on its own as a dress, as shown here, but on weekends I would drape it over my shoulders, paired with distressed cropped jeans, a silk cami and metallic flats."Coat by Erdem and shoes by Christian Louboutin, all from Neiman Marcus. Vintage signed jade, black enamel and diamond earrings; rare signed carved emerald, ruby and diamond monumental ring; and important signed carved jade, black enamel and diamond cuff bracelet, all from Richters of Palm Beach. Photographed by Chelsae Anne at Memorial Park in Palm Beach. Styling by Darcy Jones. Makeup by Deborah Koepper and hair by Jerome Obry for Deborah Koepper Beauty, Palm Beach.

Daily News Staff Writer

Her friends in New York City – and her colleagues in the fashion industry there – can’t seem to get enough details about the island these days, she says.

"I always joke that Palm Beach is the sixth borough," says Jones, who lives in a condo near Worth Avenue and has a pied-à-terre in Manhattan. "People tell me they really enjoy seeing what I’m doing in Palm Beach. They knew me from my New York style, but they want to see how I’m translating that here."

Palm Beach Life asked Jones, who modeled part-time while in college, to pull together several looks she loves from Worth Avenue stores. We also asked her to tell us a little about how she makes Palm Beach style her own.

It really is about effortless elegance, or rather elegance that seems effortless. It’s a casual chic that is distinctly polished. Palm Beach style today is still wonderfully colorful, and there is still a respect and love for wonderfully made clothing and accessories. Women and men dress well here, as they always have.

Women still appreciate wearing a set of jewelry, but now they may wear parts of several sets, mixing metals and rethinking where and how to wear each piece. A fur clip may adorn the collar of a bright cashmere sweater. She may take several sparkling brooches and pin them on a clutch or a large sun hat. Instead of one statement bracelet, she’ll mix two cuffs, placing one on each wrist. "Palm Beach Style Now" is a bit more playful, a touch more creative and entirely personal.

Are there misconceptions about what one can, or should, wear in Palm Beach?

Absolutely. The days of single-strand pearls and taffeta ball gowns really are a thing of the past. We’ve seen a shift toward a richer, less pastel color palette, more layered ensembles and creative accessorizing. It is not the conservative "prepster" bastion, as I think Palm Beach was once commonly assumed to be. I see young Palm Beach women experimenting more with their attire, incorporating a more European sensibility and European brands into their wardrobes, playing with high-fashion trends and even adding more bohemian-inspired elements into their outfits. This is a really fun time for fashion in Palm Beach, as the world seems to get smaller and more global fashion influences seep into the island culture.

What have been the biggest influences on your personal fashion sense?

I would have to say the golden moments of classic American cinema. By that I mean iconic films with strong female leads set in romantic or dramatic settings, but where you can’t help remember the fashion moments: Think Katherine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story, Lauren Bacall in To Have and Have Not and Eleanor Parker, the baroness in The Sound of Music. Or Gwyneth Paltrow in The Talented Mr. Ripley and even Renee Russo in the latest adaption of The Thomas Crown Affair, which, of course, really put Michael Kors on the map. I love all these actresses’ take on what I call the borrowed-from-the-boys look: It’s a classic type of glamour that exudes effortless elegance, perfect tailoring, movement, layering and luxury, all worn with supreme confidence.

You’ve described yourself as a "fashion mixologist."

When I’m putting together an ensemble I like to think of the flavor palette I want to create first. Then it’s almost like building a room, a drink or a bite of food. I want to try mixing something smooth – like a fabric – with a rougher texture and to play up the opposing elements, but somehow connect or layer them so their combination feels cohesive. I like oppositions in a look: It’s boy meets girl, leather and lace, feminine and masculine, all coming together to blend and balance each other. My way of dressing is different from just mixing high and low. It’s more about evoking a feeling – a sense of harmony despite discord.

What are your favorite ways to take a classic and transform the look for today?

I like to constantly rethink my classic pieces and push the limits. I’ve taken an Hermès scarf, for example, and tied it around my wrist as a bracelet, even an armband, and around my ankle. When I have a good tan, I love to wear the perfect patterned or embellished shorts at night, with just a white tank top, a great blazer and eye-catching pointy-toe stilettos. I’ll pair a classic Chanel tweed jacket with a graffiti T-shirt and cropped jeans, and for evening I’ll switch out the T for a sparkling or shining brightly colored top to layer the textures. My approach to Palm Beach style is playful and thoughtful, not provocative.

How do you go about choosing accessories?

I am not afraid of color or texture. I love bolder jewelry and enjoy a handbag that occasionally provides a pop of color. I do like using accessories, however, to highlight the face, which in my opinion is the whole point. When someone looks at you, you want his or her eyes to immediately travel upward to your face. And sometimes the easiest way to do that in Palm Beach is to throw on a killer pair of reflective, adorned or colorful sunglasses.

I also love vintage jewelry, because you’re enjoying an actual piece of the past. So when you put on an Art Deco cuff, lion earrings, a statement brooch or a classic coin choker, you’re carrying with you the feelings of those time periods and showcasing the rarity of that spirit.

What have you found in Palm Beach of late that gave you an "ah-ha" moment?

A sparkling gray Brunello Cucinelli feather-adorned maxi skirt paired with a silver metallic bomber jacket. It epitomizes the old and the new, the classic and the trendy, and says everything about Palm Beach fashion now with one glance. So fresh, so stunning, and such a great translation of where the past can flawlessly meet the present here.